CHAMBERSBURG - The Chambersburg Police Department took a step toward the modern era this week, by introducing the first departmental social media and website.

Though the social media aspect is not to the same extent as most would think, the department's new Crimewatch website is a part of the company's uniform group of sites that covers 70 police organizations in Pennsylvania, according to interim chief Sgt. Rick Morrissette.

"We're trying to find a way to reach out a little bit more to the public - to get our news out there a little bit more," Morrissette said. While Morrissette gives the credit to Chambersburg Mayor Darren Brown for pushing the new website issue, Brown actually cites Morrissette as the idea originator.

In 2014, a young bear came strolling through town, and Brown worked with others to spread warning about the bear over Facebook. Brown said with the success of using social media, Morrissette also noted how useful Facebook could be in the future.

Morrissette said that before he became interim chief at the beginning of this year, former chief David Arnold and Brown had already been looking into Crimewatch. The idea had been tabled, but it was there.

"So we brought it a little bit more into focus, we started to see the benefits behind it, how it could help us out," Morrissette said.

What makes the situation different from what many departments are doing is that their website is directly connected to their Facebook, with no current ability for officers or staff to post directly to the department Facebook.

"We wanted to get out there on Facebook, but obviously Facebook presentes challenges," Morrissette said. "We werne't trying to hide from Facebook, we were trying to use Facebook to the best of our advantage, that didn't beocme a distraction, that didn't cause more grief or turmoil."

Currently, all posts are being funneled through Morrissette, although he said with the new chief, he doesn't know if that will change.

There is an annual $5,100 fee for the site, which Morrissette said would be paid by taking the money out of the police operating budget after cutting their current website and crime mapping contracts.

"We didn't have to ask for more money because we just saved some money in other areas and used that saving to pay for it," Morrissette said.

The Borough of Chambersburg is the entity that currently blocks Facebook not only for borough pages, but from all borough computers. Brown said there is a hesitancy about social media due to fear of misuse and potential vulnerabilities it creates for the computers it's used on.

But understanding the need to get information out, Brown said he pushed for the website.

"This is what I want, I'm willing to put this one on the line," Brown said. "It's another way to reach out to the public."

After about a week of the Facebook page being open, the page has around 1,200 likes.

"We've had multiple people that say that they love it," Morrissette said of the immediate community response, "I haven't heard anything negative yet. I'm sure the people that are being highlighted on it don't like it, but it's all public information."

The hope is that people will use the Facebook to click through to the website, where if necessary they can leave a tip.

There will be arrests of interest posted, incident reports, and case postings where police need help.

"Like it! Share it with your friends! The more people we can reach, the better off we'll be with being able to solve some of these unsolved crimes," Morrissette said. "The more people that share it gives us the more eyes on photographs."